I love it when it’s time for our youngest child to go back to school because I love routines. Summer inevitably interrupts a great routine that I relish and come to take for granted over the almost ten months of each school year. Yes, we try to set up “summer” routines, but they’re never the same. They’re short and punctuated with lots of starts and stops for summer camp and family vacations. And my work world doesn’t seem to understand that summer operates differently from the rest of the year. I’m not sure everyone in my family appreciates routine as much as I do, and I know my clients have no reason to work around mine. Yet, I still love them. I love the brief moment of solitude each morning before I wake up the family. I love the late morning dog walk that signals it’s time for lunch. I love the midday weekend nap. And I love my routine of focused work in the morning and less-focused tasks that occupy the afternoon.
What is it about my routines that makes me so look forward to re-establishing them when summer ends? I’m not sure it’s the actual routine itself – fix breakfast, pack lunch, then drive my kid to school; or check the daily schedule, look for any urgent communications, and then dive into some deep project work. No, I don’t really think that’s it. It’s like a good Philly cheesesteak or slice of chocolate cake – it’s comforting. It’s that bit of control I have over an otherwise chaotic day. It’s the predictable sandwiched between the unpredictability each workday brings. It’s the discipline and sense of accomplishment when the routine is executed well.
What my routine is not – and I have to be ever vigilant about this – is dogmatic. My routine cannot be a strict default that robs me and others of spontaneous moments like the occasional midday break to go out for lunch with my wife. Or the infrequent meet-up with a friend or colleague first thing in the morning at a local coffee shop. Or deciding after lunch to recline on the couch and close my eyes for twenty minutes – just a quick, refreshing moment.
Yes, I need a routine. I am more productive knowing I have a routine. I love my routine. But I have a well-structured routine so that, occasionally, I can deviate without getting totally sidetracked or feeling guilty or becoming anxious because a task (or ten) has to wait. I imagine that even those who claim to have no routine are actually practicing a routine of sorts. Anyway, school has been back in session for a week and I’m back into my routine – it’s strategic and it’s practical. Maybe I miss summer a little … but not much.